Carolyn J. Braden • 3 Minute Read
How to Make Fancy Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls in Minutes
Craving a cozy fall treat? Learn how to make fancy pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls in just minutes with this easy recipe. These pumpkin shaped rolls are perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert, these fluffy rolls with warm spices and sweet glaze will impress family and friends without the hassle. Using Pillsbury Flaky Cinnamon Rolls or Caramel Rolls make this easy breakfast or sweet treat come together in minutes.
The cutest little pumpkin rolls
Pumpkin Spice Makes Everything Nice
There’s something about the smell of fresh cinnamon rolls baking in the oven that makes the cozy flavors of fall make you feel warmer in minutes. This quick, easy treat made with a dash of pumpkin spice make these fancy cinnamon rolls your perfect seasonal recipe. When you use pre-made cinnamon rolls, you can make these fancy pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls in minutes with minimal effort.
Cute and budget friendly cinnamon rolls
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
These cinnamon rolls are quick and easy but they taste homemade. They are perfect for fall mornings, brunch, or entertaining. Add this DIY Brown Sugar and Orange Latte and you’ll have a fancy drink and a fancy presentation of a pumpkin cinnamon roll that will make you feel fall vibes for days. With the pumpkin spice obsession (click the link to learn the psychology behind it) we see every fall season, you can make these in the fall or anytime you feel the PS vibe!
These are Kid Approved Cinnamon Rolls
Other Fun Pumpkin Spice Things to Try
Really love pumpkin spice? Grab these fun finds for the PS lover in your life or for yourself:
Kind Thins Chocolate Pumpkin Spice 100 Calorie Bars, Amazon, $9
Mainstays Pumpkin Spice Wax Candle, Walmart Best Seller, $5.97
Another thing to make in the summer or fall that has cinnamon vibes is our EASY Cherry Bounce recipe. See it below or via our YouTube channel @carolynjbraden:
Our Favorite Shortcut
You can make cinnamon rolls from scratch like these from the Kitchn, or you can use store-bought cinnamon rolls like we did. We tested Pillsbury cinnamon rolls but also know they came out with a flaky caramel roll and that would work too. The icing on the caramel rolls is a bit brown, so the green stem may need a bit more food coloring to make it be green. Or you can omit any colorant and just shape them like pumpkins or just eat them as is.
Check out my 1-minute video tutorial for this project on my TikTok now or coming soon here and to my YouTube channel @carolynjbraden!
How to Make Fancy Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls
Now for the easy recipe! These pumpkin cinnamon rolls were a hit at my salon. I made them quickly the night before my monthly hair appointment, and my salon team loved them. They could taste the pumpkin spice lightly, so if you want more pumpkin spice flavor, add more spice! I had them take the extras to their kiddos, as I know a kid would adore a pumpkin shaped cinnamon roll. It’s not necessary to shape them, of course, but it sure is fun.
Love other shaped foods? Try our butterfly soft pretzels below or or via our YouTube channel.
Special Tools: Baking sheet, parchment paper, icing spreader, 2 butter knives
Time in Kitchen: 30 minutes or less
Makes: 8 Rolls
Use the button below for a free PRINTABLE recipe PDF!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Pre-made cinnamon roll dough (Pillsbury at Walmart, or we love Immaculate Organic Cinnamon Rolls from Whole Foods OR omit the PS blend addition and use Immaculate Organic Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls when available in the fall or Pillsbury Pumpkin Spice Rolls at Target)
Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend (usually made up of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, get our favorite here on Amazon).
Cream cheese frosting or glaze (comes with most pre-made refrigerated cinnamon roll dough but the Pillsbury caramel rolls come with caramel sauce you could use)
Food coloring (we used 365 plant-based or you could use what you have)
Use cinnamon, pumpkin spice or caramel rolls
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Place parchment paper on a baking tray (helps the rolls not stick and keeps your tray cleaner) and pre-heat the oven according to the cinnamon roll package instructions.
Pinch the dough to make a stem
Step 2: Place the rolls out onto the tray. Unroll the dough of each cinnamon roll slightly and place a stem shaped “bend” into the top of each one.
Tapping the dough to make a stem
Use your fingers to shape it. Please note, it will not stay a perfect stem while baking. This step will help you shape them after baking and be much easier. Use your hands to pat them a bit flatter to help them hold some shape.
Dusting on some Pumpkin Spice blend
Step 3: Lightly sprinkle on some pumpkin spice blend over each roll if desired. I sprinkled a light dusting but you can add more if you want it to taste even more pumpkin-ish.
Dying the icing/glaze
Step 4: Bake according to the package instructions. While they are baking, place a small amount of the icing into one bowl and a larger amount into another. Add green to the smaller icing bowl and stir. Add a bit of red and yellow to the other bowl to form orange and stir. If you have orange food coloring, use that, but mixing red and yellow will give you orange.
Shaping the stems after baking
Step 5: Remove the rolls from the oven when they are done baking and immediately use two knives to “pinch” the stem of the roll to keep it looking like a stem while the rolls cool. This makes the stem more prominent.
Adding the green icing to the stems
Step 6: Use a knife or icing spatula to apply orange glaze to the pumpkin body and green glaze to the stem. You can add optional toppings like nuts or orange sprinkles for a “fancy” touch.
Adding the orange icing/glaze
Step 7: Serve them warm or cold on a tiered stand like my jadeite cake stand from Amazon or a cute pumpkin shaped platter like this one. You can serve them warm or cold. I store mine in the refrigerator overnight due to living in a humid climate. I recommend this and it is optional, however, if your rolls have a cream cheese glaze, definitely store them in your fridge. Heat in a microwave for less than 10 seconds at a time on 50% power to maintain the glaze colors.
I love shaping foods!
These pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls are easy, fancy, and perfect for fall and I invite you to try them and share this idea with others by pin this recipe (my Pinterest is full of great ideas!), share on social, and let me know if you tried this in the comments below!
If you loved this article, then we know you’ll love this one too: 3 Ingredient Crescent Roll Wraps for a Fast Delicious Dinner
Carolyn J. Braden is the owner of Carolyn’s Blooming Creations is a regular contributor and editor for CBC. She has been featured in numerous media publications such as InStyle Magazine, on HGTV, on Bustle.com, and more. She is the author of the books Georgia McMasters in Amethyst Lake Cemetery, How To Be Yourself: 3 Ways To Help You Being You, and the illustrator for the children’s book Bridging Connections. She is a former classroom teacher that now dedicates her life to educating others on how to live their most healthy, creative and happy life. Learn more about her visiting our About Us page.